I am a disabled vet (Vietnam era) and new to Texas. From what I understand is that most of the hunting is done on private leased property. But, what I don't know is what the cost is and are there any ranchers who will let you hunt their property for free or is it just a waste of time to even ask? Thanks in advance for your responses. I'm looking at the southwest side of Texas.

Welcome Two-Shot and thanks for your service to our country. It is correct that most of the hunting for non land owners is done on leased property but that does not mean you still cannot find a place to hunt for free. Try to show up at the local feedstore or café of choice for ranchers and just ask. Also State WMA's. Might get in on the draw hunts the state provides.

I cant imagine a ranch that will let you hunt for free. Ranches are businesses. I have heard of leases in Texas from $1200 and up. There are so many varibles to the cost of a lease. If you do not have several thousand dollars or personally know ranchers. You will have to be creative and offer work or something to trade.

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There are still ranchers that will give access to their property for free or for very cheap, but they are rare and can take a lot of effort to locate. There are others that offer hunts in trade for work and upkeep. A relationship of trust has to be developed between the two parties and can be a fragile agreement because of undefined expectations.

Public land is viable in most areas of Texas and I would think being a Vet would provide additional options for you.

A year around lease is going to be relatively expensive depending on where you live and want to hunt. Different areas are valued at different prices.

There are options for day hunts and weekend hunts. For instance, I have seen doe hunts go for around $150-500, hog hunts for $100-$500, predator hunts for under $300, etc.

Thank you all for your replies. They have given me some good ideas. I am however unable to work but, I will check out the drawing, general public land and the Fort Hood options. Thank you all again for the quick replies.

Get the type 2 booklet from Texas parks and wildlife and you can see if any of these properties would suit your needs. Over 1 million acres available under the 'Type 2 program'. Last time I checked it was less than $100 dollars. $48 if I remember correctly. You can even check harvest rates on the particular property you're interested in. Great success on a lot of these hunts. Just be sure you are 'code compliant'. Read the rules and get to know the area you're going to hunt.